LB 




Class. JJS-M4i 



Book 



Ha 



?/4 



11 

II 



The Consolidated School 

in North Dakota 



Prepared by 

N* C. Macdonald, M» A, 

Member of State Board of Education 

State Inspector of Consolidated, Graded and Rural Schools 

for the State of North Dakota 



Issued by the State Board of Education 
of North Dakota, September, 1914 



The Consolidated School 

in North Dakota ^^-- 



Prepared by 

N, C. Macdonald, M, A, 

Member of State Board of Education 

State Inspector of Consolidated, Graded and Rural Schools for the 
State of North Dakota 



Issued by the State Board of Education 
of North Dakota, September, 1914 



l^ 



■p 



1^" 



HI 




TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Introduction ^ 

1 The Present Status 5 

2 The Benefits 13 

3 Transportation 25 

4 The Cost 28 

5 How Promoted • • 29 

6 How Organized 29 

ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES 

Views Page 
1-6 A Page of Progress in North Dakota 4 

1-2 Two Charts Pertaining to Consolidated Schools fi- 7 

1 The Consolidated School Map 12 

1-2 The "Teacherage" 15 

1-7 A Few Consolidated Schools K'-l 

1-4 High School Pupils in Consohdated Schools 20-21 

1-4 Industrial Work in Consolidated Schools 22-23 

1-2 Athletic Activities in Consolidated Schools 24 

1-4 Transportation in Consolidated Schools 26-27 

Tables Page 

1 Open Country Consolidated Schools 8 

2 Town Consolidated Schools 9 

3 Total Number of Consolidated Schools 11 



A Page of Progress in North Dakota 




No. 1— The Red River 
Ox-Cart 



No. 2— The N. P. Express 




No. 3 — The Sod Shanty 
on the Claim 



No. i — i he Splendid Heme on the Farm 




No. 5 — The One-Room Rural 

School No. 6 — The Open Country Consolidated School 

View five is of a one-room rural school located in one of the oldest and richest 
communities in the state. It has been here for 27 years. There are over 4,500 rural 
schools in the state. View six is of the Caledonia Consolidated School in Traill County. 
There are now 273 consolidated schools, 103 being open country; but there could be all 
together over 1,500. Ilowever, progress is going on and soon the one-room rural school 
will disappear as did the ox-cart and the sod shack. 



THE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL 



INTRODUCTION 



"Promote then as objects of primaiy importance, institutions 
for the general diffusion of knoidcdge. In proportion as the struc- 
ture of government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that 
public opinon should be enlightened." — Washington. 

This is the school that has at least two teachers and that serves 
the children residing in about eighteen sections, or that territory 
usually served by two rural schools. This in substance is the general 
definition agreed upon by the Conference of State School Inspectors 
held at Louisville, Kentucky, last April. It is immaterial as to how 
it is formed, whether it be by petition, election, or common con- 
sent. The main thing is that it serves well the general educational 
needs of a fair sized rural community. There are in the state 273 
consolidated schools. This number includes those organized during 
the past year and scheduled to be in operation during the coming 
school year. Of this number 38 were classified last year as state 
high schools and 25 as graded consolidated schools. These numbers 
will be materially increased this year. The great opportunity of this 
school is to provide better school work in the grades and better 
high school privileges to the country youth, which it is doing. Its 
greatest need is for sufficient state aid to pay for transportation 
which would put the rural and town patrons on nearly equal footing 
regarding equal school facilities. The consolidated school is the 
only school that can provide educational facilities that are as free 
and equal as those furnished to the city children. The rural school 
does not and cannot furnish such educational facilities. The prob- 
lem to solve here is to unite the rural schools to form central or con- 
solidated schools. 

1. The Present Status of the ConsoHdated School 

There are now 273 consolidated schools in the state, 48 different 
counties being represented. Of this number 103 are open country 
consolidated schools and 170 are town consolidated schools. Last 
year there were 75 open country consolidated and 115 town consol- 
idated schools. This means an increase of 83 in one year, the great- 
est increase in the history of the state. This is due largely to the 
state aid grant in connection with the co-operation of the press and 
several public spirited persons in and out of the scliool field in tlie 
state. The reader is referred to the tables that give the names and 
number of consolidated schools and to the map giving the location 
of these schools in the state. 



"To he educated is the inalienable right of childhood." 



Two Chart Views That Present a Strong Argument for the Con- 
soHdated School. 



III. BETTER WORK IN GRADES 

1 Per cent Eighth Grade Tests: 
Rural School 4^ 

Consolidated •-i»i»»»i..». 8 1 
City School -i---«»_». 90 

S.Percent Eighth Grade 

Completions: 

City Girl ' ^O 

City Boy —— — 50 

Country Girl— ^2 

Country Boy- '^ 

3 THE RESULT 

The Ruled and the 

Ruling Classes 



No. 1. 



'There is nofhins; in flic world so important as cJiildrcn." 7 



IV 


BETTER HIGH SCHOOL 




PRIVILEGES 


1 


Enriched Course of Study: 




Agriculture 




Household Economics 


* 


Public Speaking* 




Manual Training* 


2. 


Percent H.S. Completions: 




City Girl — — gS 




Gity Boy — 12^ 




Country Girl i U 




Country Boy • i 


3. 


THE RESULT: 




Loss of Rural 




Leadership 



No. 2. 



Tliese are views of two charts taken from an eleven-page chart series used in giving 
my talks on "The Consolidated School" over the state. These views tell a damning tale 
of far too low eflficiency on the part of the rural school, and particularly in reference 
to the so-called education of the country boy; but they also tell a story of high hope 
and worthy achievement for the country youth, for the eighth grade and high school 
completions of the standard consolidated ?chool equal those of the city school. If the 
present conditions continue, the end can only be the loss of rural leadership and the 
ruled and the ruling classe«, and finally national decay and dishonor; but it will not 
continue, for there is now a strong and growing sentiment in favor of the consolidated 
school. 



TABLE I 



Open Country Consolidated Schools 
(Not Located on a Railroad.) 



Name of P. O. Address 

District of Qerk 

Aliceton Lisbon 

Arne Hesper 

Badg-er Cando 

Banner Weaver 

Beaulieu Olga 

Blue Hill Ryder 

Bonetrail Bonetrail 

Brooklyn Wheelock 

Burt Drady 

Butte Harmon 

Caledonia Caledonia 

Calio Calio 

Cherry Butte Regent 

<-^ay Mohall 

Qeveland Brockett 

Cleveland Verona 

Columbia New Rockford 

Corinne Courtenay 

Cottonwood Emrick 

Crocus Crocus 

Crystal Douglas 

Currie Overly 

DeGroat Churchs Ferry 

Denmark Kenmare 

Dovre Schollsmade 

Dymond Palermo 

Eden Valley Sherwood 

Ellingdale Brazil 

Ellsworth Perth 

Enterprize Brocket 

Fairview Sherwood 

Farland Farland 

Glenmore Dieseni 

Golden Grain Bergen 

Gopher . . Maza 

Goshen Durbin 

Grail Schafer 

Grey Daniels 

Grilley Upham 

Hardwheat Zion 

Hawkeye Crosby 

Hettinger Chandler 

Hope Doyon 

Hope Vang 

Howell Perth 

Huron Clyde 

Illinois Antler 

Irvine Churchs l''erry 

Lake Devils Lake 

Layton Bantry 

Liberty Sheldon 

Little Butte Vanville 



Name of P. O. Address 

District of Qerk 

Loam Langdon 

Lockwood Lansford 

Logan Fergus 

Lorraine Forbes 

Maryville Belcourt 

McCall Buffalo 

Metcalf Cando 

Michigan Mohall 

Minto Wales 

Monroe Perth 

Moore Enderlin 

Mount Pleasant Calvin 

Newbre Brocket 

Newland Edmore 

No. 4 Lemmon, S. Dak. 

No. 11 Center 

No. 18 Center 

No. 19 Kathryn 

No. 69 Litchville 

Olga Olga 

Oswego Venlo 

Oxford Rolla 

Peabody Souris 

Pleasant Valley Esmond 

Pleasant View Alta 

Picton Rolla 

Prospect Edmore 

Ramsey Grove .... Park River 

Riverdale Oakes 

Rose Valley Gardner 

Russell Thorne 

Rutland Rutland 

Sauter Brocket 

Scoville Lisbon 

Shell Valley Thorne 

Sheyenne Power 

Sioux Trail Rudser 

Spring Valley Wirch 

Stammen Foxholm 

Stillwater ' Scranton 

Stowers Lemmon, S. Dak. 

Surrey Surrey 

Sydna Milnor 

Tepee Havelock 

Union Mylo 

Uxbridge Leal 

Vie Stanley 

Waterford Glenburn 

Washington . . . New Rockford 

West End Delamere 

Wolfe Creek Rolette 



'TJic consolidated school solves the coihiitry school problem." 9 



TABLE II 



Town Consolidated Schools 



Name of Town 



Name of Town 



Abercrombie 

Absaraka 

Adrian 

Alexander 

Ambrose 

Amenia 

Anamoose 

Ars^usville 

Balfour 

Baker 

Barl-lel-1- 

Beach 

Beaulah 

Belfield 

Bentley 

Berlin 

Berthold 

Berwick 

Bisbee 

Blabon 

Bordulac 

Bowesmont 

Bowdon 

Braddock 

Brocket 

Buchanan 

Buford 

Burnstad 

Calio 

Calvin 

Can do 

Chaffee 

Christine 

Church s Ferry 

Clifford 

Col£2:ate 

Clyde 

Courtenay 

Dahlen 

Dawson 

Deerin;^ 

Denbigh 

Doucrlas 



Devon 

Drake 

Driscoll 

Dunseith 

Egeland 

Elliot 

Erie 

Esmond 

Fairdale 

Fairmont 

Fessenden 

Filmore 

Forest River 

Fredonia 

Fullerton 

Cackle 

Gardner 

Gilby 

Gladstone 

Glenfield 

Goodrich 

Grace City 

Hampden 

Hansboro 

Flarlow 

Hazelton 

Flazen 

Hesper 

Hettinger 

Hogue 

Hoople 

Horace 

Honey ford 

Hickson 

Hurdsfield 

Inkster 

Jolictte 

Kcnmare 

Jud 

Johnstown 

Juanita 

Ken sal 

Kranicr 



10 



"Tlw chief business of a republic is education." 



Table II — Continued. 



Name of Town 



Name of Town 



Lakota 

Lansford 

Lawton 

Lidgerwood 

Litchville 

Linton 

Lucca 

Luverne 

Marion 

Marmarth 

McClusky 

McGregor 

McHenry 

McVille 

Medina 

Max 

Mekinock 

Michigan 

Mohall 

Montpelier 

Mott 

Napoleon 

Nekoma 

Newville 

New England 

New Rockford 

Nortonville 

Norwich 

Osnabrock 

Page 

Palermo 

Pekin 

Penn 

Perth 

Pettibone 

Petersburg 

Pickert 

Pillsbury 

Plaza 

Reeder 

Rhame 

Regent 



Richardton 

Robinson 

Rock Lake 

Rolette 

Rolla 

Ross 

Russell 

Sarles 

Sarnia 

Sawyer 

Sentinel Butle 

Sharon 

Sheldon 

Shields 

Spiritwood 

Steele 

Stanton 

St. John 

Strasburg 

Streeter 

Surrey 

Sutton 

Sykeston 

Tappen 

Taylor 

Thompson 

Tioga 

Tolna 

Towner 

Turtle Lake 

Upham 

Underwood 

Valley City 

Velva 

Walcott 

Weaver 

Webster 

Wimbledon 

Wilton 

Wing 

Wolford 

Woodworth 



Table III 

Number of Consolidated Schools. 






■County 


Open 
Country 


Town 


Total 


Adams 


2 
3 

3 
1 

4 

1 

1 

1 

3 

9 

3 

2 



2 







1 



3 



1 



3 



2 

2 





2 

2 

3 



1 

G 

7 

3 

2 

8 

1 







1 

9 1 

1 

2 

5 

1 

2 


2 

5 

5 
1 
3 
1 


2 
9 
7 
1 
1 


] 

5 
5 
2 
6 
1 
4 
5 
5 
4 
10 

1 
4 
3 
1 
3 
8 

2 
1 
8 
2 
1 
5 
4 

2 
4 
5 
8 

1 
3 
5 
4 
3 


4 


Barnes 


8 


Benson 


8 


Billing's 


o 


Bottineau 


^ 


Bowman 


2 


Burke 


1 


Burleigh 


o 




12 


Cavalier 


16 


Dickey 


4 


Divide 


3 







Eddy 


3 




5 


Foster 


5 


■Golden Valley 

Grand Forks 


2 
7 




1 


Hettinger 


7 


Kidder 


5 


LaAIoure 


6 




4 


McHenry 


13 


Mcintosh 

McKenzie 

McLean 

Mercer 



3 
6 
3 


Morton 


1 


Mountrail 


5 




10 


Oliver 


3 


Pembina 


2 


Pierce 


2 




14 


Ransom 


9 


Renville 


4 


Richland 


7 


Rolette 


12 


Sargent • . 


1 


Sheridan 


2 


Stark 


4 


Steele 

Stutsman 


5 
9 




in 


Traill 

Walsh 


2 

5 


Ward 


10 


Wells 


5 


Williams 


5 




103 1 


170 1 


273 



12 



"Democracy means equality of opportunity." 



The Consolidated School Map of North Dakota 



CONSOLlDATflD SCHOOLS 

in 

NORTM DAKOTA 




• Town Consolidated Schools 170 

■ Open Count rv Con.'-nfl-jater? Schools.,., Ijf)^ 



No. 1. 

This map view shows among other things that the greatest development of the con- 
solidated ^chool is in the northern counties, despite the fact that these countie, are not 
the wealthiest and that they do not have the most favorable weathe.'. At the present 
writing Cavalier and Towner counties tie for first place with 16 each, Ramsey is second 
with 14, McHenry is third with 13, Rolette and Cass counties tie for fourth place with 
12 each, and Nel-nn and Ward counties tie for fifth place with 10 each. There has 
been an increase of 131 within the past two years, which is a greater increase than the 
total increase for the twenty years preceding. 



"The consolidated scliool provides equality of opportunity/' 13 

2. The JJciiefits of the Consolidated School 

The benefits of the consolidated school far out-weigh any dis- 
advantages that may be involved in the system. 

The Six Major Benefits of this school as endorsed by the Na- 
tional Conference are as follows : 

(1) Better Attendance — A 9 months term with 80 per cent at- 
tendance instead of 7.5 months term with GO per cent attendance 
as in the average rural school. 

(2) Better Teachers — A normal school graduate teaching a 
good school in place of an eighth grade graduate keeping a poor 
rural school. 

(3) Better School Work in the Grades — Five times the num- 
ber completing the eighth grade and doing work of twice the quality 
when compared with rural school results. 

(4) Better High School Privileges — Fifteen times the number 
of country pupils completing the high school and at one-fifteenth the 
cost to the individual patron when compared with the old rural 
school system. 

(5) Better Organization — A teacher with three grades and 15 
classes daily instead of six grades and 30 classes and 15 visits per 
year of a supervisor instead of two, as in the rural school. 

(6) Better Ci'^ic-Social Opportunities — A good place for 
Farmers' Clubs, Literary Societies, Social Events, Athletic Contests, 
Lectures and Art Exhibits, which the rural school has not. 

The Twenty-Five Benefits of the Consolidated School when 
Compared to the One-Room Rural School are the following: 

(1) Increases the attendance. 

(2) Makes the attendance more regular. 

(3) Increases the enrollment. 

(4) Keeps the older pupils in the school longer, giving a form 
of the continuation school. 

(5) Provides high school privileges at one-third the cost to 
the community, and one-fifteenth the cost to the individual patron. 

(6) Makes possible the securing of better trained teachers. 

(7) Improves industrial conditions in the country, including 
improved roads and farms. 

(8) Results in higher salaries for better trained teachers. 

(9) Makes possible more and better grade school work. 
(10) Enriches the civic-social life activities. 



14 



"Trained intelligence is a nation's greatest asset. 



(11) Conserves more largely the health and morals of the 
children. 

(12) Increases the number of eighth grade completions. 

(13) Provides adequate supervision. 

(14) Reduces truancy and tardiness. 

(15) Develops better school spirit. 

(16) Gives more time for recitations. 

(17) Increases the value of real estate. 

(18) Produces greater pride and interest in country life. 

(19) Prevents the drift to the larger towns and cities. 

(20) Brings more and better enuipped buildings. 

(21) Eliminates the small weak school. 

(22) Creates a school of greater worth, dignity and usefulness. 

(23) Makes possible a more economical school. 

(24) Provides equal educational opportunities. 

(25) Gives much greater and better results in every way. 



"To he really useful in tJic zvorld do something for ch ildren." h") 
The "Teacherage" in Connection With the ConsoHdated School 




No. 1 — The "Teacherage" at the Cleveland Consolidated School in Ransom County. 




No. 2 — Tlie "Teacherage" at the Currie Cunsnliilated School in Re 



County. 



These views show the "Teacherage", that i^;, the teachers' home in connection with 
the Open Country Consolidated School. There are now 22 such homes in the stale; 
many being made from the discarded one-room school buildings. The "Teacherage" helps 
solve the problem of securing and holding well Irainetl teacliers in tlie open country. 



16 "JJlicrc the toivn and country cooperate there is progress." 
A Few Consolidated Schools in Town and Country 




■*^' So««^i*Rvn\>Hu^w. 



No. 1 — The Fairdale Consolidated School in Walsh County. 




No. 2 — The Gardner Consolidated School in Lass County. 
These views show two of the small town consolidated schools. In each four well 
trained teachers are employed. Last year both principals were college graduates. The 
majority of the enrollment in each school comes from the country, a township being 
served in each case. Like all other consolidated schools they are splendid monuments 
to the good judgment and courageous leadership of those who made them possible. 



'The coiiunon school is the j^rcafcst discovery made by iiudi. 




No. 3 — The .Aloore Consolidated School in Ransom County. 




Xo. 4— The Edtn Valley Consolidated School in Renville County. 
These views show two of the laiRcr type of the Open Country Consolidated School. 
When inspected last year the Moore school had four teachers and an enrollment of 86 
The Eden Valley school had three teachers and an enrollment of 81 Uoth serve the 
entire township, and high school work is done in both. Ihey are splendid examples of 
what courage and intelligent rural leadership can do. 



18 



"There can be no ruled and ruling 



A Few ^lore Consolidated Schools 




No. — The Brooklyn Consolidated School in Williams County. 




No. 6 — The Cherry Butte Consolidated School in Hettinger County. 

These are splendid examples of the two-room consolidated school in the open country. 
They cost about $4,000 each and are built along modern lines. Each serves the township 
and two teachers are employed. The writer took part in the dedicatory exercises of 
these schools last fall; and it was a genuine pleasure to witness the deep interest taken 
by the people in their new schools. These schools are magnificent monuments to the 
courage and wisdom of those who made their erection possible. 



classes where educational opportunities are equal:" 




20 



"U\-ll trained sous and daughters arc 



Mews Showing- High School Pupils in Consolidated Schools 




No. 1 — High School Pupils in the Russel Consolidated School in Rolette County. 




No. i — High School Pupils in the Moore Consolidated School in Ransom County. 

These two views show two groups of young people doing high school work in the 
open country consolidated school while living at home. Very few of these pupils could 
have gone elsewhere to high school, but the consolidated school brought the high school 
to them; and thus these young lives are being ennobled and the citizenship of the state 
is being enriched in a way not possible in the old rural school. 



flic chief end and glory of the home. 



21 




No. 3 — High School Pupils in the Eden Valley Consolidated School in Renville County. 




No. i — High School Pupils in the Gardner Consolidated School in Cass County. 

These two views show a higher per cent of high school enrollment than the average 
for the city school. When inspected last year there were ten boys and seven girls doing 
high school work in the Eden Valley school, which is an opicn ojuntry consolidated 
school; and there were fifteen country boys and four country girls doing high school work 
in tile Gardner school, which is a town consolidated --chool. Very few of tUcse young 
people could have gone to high school elsewhere. What a great acliievement if was to 
bring high school privileges to these young people when and where it would do them the 
most good! 



22 



''Mauiial labor is a Jicccssity." 



Industrial Work in the Consolidated Schools 




No. 1 — Class in Agriculture in the Logan Open Country Consolidated School in 
Grand Forks County. 




No. 2 — Class in Manual Training in the Underwood Town Consolidated School 
in McLean County. 

Thiese views show how it is possible to enrich the course of study when the con- 
-solidated school is established. These young people get a chance, too, to study rural 
credits and to acquire noble ideals of conduct from thie study of American literature and 
Tiistory. 



".'Ill ]irccssar\' labor is liojiorahlc' 



23 




No. 3 — Class in Dompstic Scipnce in tb" Underwood Consolidated School 
McLean County. 




No. 4 — Class in Agriculture in the Upham Conscplidatcd Sclinnl in ML-lK-nry Cminty. 

The=e views show how it is possible to bring the latest and best things in household 
and agricultural science to the peo-ple that it will benefit the most. These young country 
people have the chance, too, to learn something about tariff schedules and the opportunity 
to enrich their lives from the study of good music and art. 



'Orcrguhcd play is recreative, educative and cliaractcr-huildin o;. 
Atliletic Activities in the Consolidated School 




No. 1 — The Indoor Basketball Team in the Uxbridge Open Country Consolidated 
School in Barnes County. 



^ 


^^^0hK '^ ' ' ' ^^^^^^^^^IP^il^lPn 


""a E'- 


myrm '''"^m^ 



No. 2 — The Outdoor Basketball Game in the Underwood Consolidated School 

in McLean County. 

These views show that athletics will keep country boys as well as town boys in 

school. Thc-e boys have been well and wisely cared for by patriotic-minded parents. 

Both princinals are with their boys as they should be. Both schools rank as First Class 

Consolidated Schools. 



"There is no progress ivitJioiit its price." 25 

3. Transportation 

The greatest objection to the consohdated school is the trans- 
portation. In this is involved the cost to the tax payer and hardship 
imposed upon the children. Over one thousand children have been 
interviewed by me upon this matter and there is yet to be the first 
case where any child would sooner go to the rural school than to the 
consolidated school, even though in the former instance he had to 
walk less than one-half mile to the little country school, while he 
may be compelled to ride six or seven miles to the consolidated 
school. By consulting the map or table III it will be seen that the 
northern counties lead in the number of consolidated schools, despite 
the fact that these counties average with the lowest temperature and 
coldest winter storms which would seem to refute the argument of 
hardship on account of inclement weather. Then, too, these are not 
the wealthiest counties in the state. In any case it is more humane 
to expose the horses to bad roads and inclement weather than it is to 
expose the children. As far as the cost is concerned this can be 
made very high or very low. When the private or family system is 
used, it costs $15.56 per pupil per year, while if the public or bus 
system is used it will average $28.05 per pupil per year. In several 
of the schools the private system is the one used because it gives 
there the greatest satisfaction. In some, the combination of the two 
systems is used with much success while many prefer the public or 
bus system. 



26 



"The farm boV and the farm girl are the farmer's 



Some Phases of Consolidated School Transportation 




No. 1 — Public Transportation. 

This is at the Layton Open Country Consolidated School in McHenry County. They 
use three such rigs. Public transportation is more expensive than the private systen* 
of transportation; but it results in larger and more regular attendance and makes 
it easier for all to get their children to school. It costs $28.05 per pupil transported per 
year. These young people are happier than usual at this time, for the horses and not 
themselves will have to travel over the wet and muddy roads. 




No. 2 — Private Transportation. 

This is at the Uxbridge Open Country Consolidated School in Barnes County. Unly 
a few of the rigs are shown here. This method cf transportation is cheaper than .the 
public system. It costs $15.56 per pupil transported per year. Either method is better 
in every way than to have the pupils get to the one-room rural school as best they majr 
which is commonly the ca:e under the old rural school system. 



best crop and the future's best hope. 



27 




No. 3 — A Phase of Transportation. 

Here we see the matter of transportation reduced to a "system." This is at the 
Howell Open Country Consolidated School in Towner County. Two of the old school 
buildings are used to make a home on the school campus for the driver and his family, 
the assistant drivers and the teachers. The plan has much to commend it. 




.\. 



f Transportation. 



This is at the Logan Opien Country Consolidated School in Grand Forks County. 
Here a combination of the private and public systems of transportation is used, though 
no private conveyances are shown here. This combination gives here satisfactory results 
in cost and service to the patrons and taxpayers. It i; the system used now in 'everal 
districts, and with much success. Note the fact that horses and children seem satisfied 
with the arrangement on this cold fall evening. 



28 "Starve the school and feed the jail." 

4. The Cost 

The cheapest school when everything is considered is the con- 
solidated school. For the consolidated school it costs 32 cents per 
pupil per day attended and for the rural school 35 cents. In the ma- 
jority of cases the consolidated school provides high school priv- 
ileges which the rural school cannot do. A consolidated school em- 
ploying three teachers including a well qualified principal where the 
private system of transportation is used can be ooerated for about 
four mills more or $3.20 more in taxes per Quarter than it would 
take to operate the four one-room schools running separately ; and 
when two teachers are employed it can be operated for less. If the 
public transportation is used these figures will be about twice as 
high ; but it must be remembered that a higher grade of school work 
in the grades and high school privileges are provided for in this 
school, and which the one-room rural school cannot furnish. If the 
farmer sends his boy to the city high school ,it will cost about $150 
more than if he kept him at home. This for many is a prohibitive 
tax and besides the boy is not at home where he should be in these 
perilous years of adolescent boyhood. But with the consolidated 
school in the locality, these better graded school and high school 
privileges can be furnished for about one-fifteenth of the cost to the 
individual parent and one-third the cost to the community, and the 
boy is at home. Then besides it makes the non-resident land owner, 
the corporation, and the tax payer without family, contribute their 
share toward the development and perpetuity of the State. This is 
only just and fair, for the child is educated primarily for the State. 



'Ercrv nation dug its cirilhation out of the ground." 29 



5. How Promoted 

The promotion of the consoHdated school calls for investigation 
and publicity, untiring effort and courageous leadership on the part 
of all employed in the system. There is no such thing as urgmg the 
organization of the consolidated school too strongly or striving too 
strenuously to further its growth. It is the duty of all to do their 
utmost in this matter, and in doing so several thousand boys and 
girls will be provided with adequate school privileges that would 
otherwse never be so provided. The teacher who is on the ground 
is the one who can do much to develope and guide the sentiment in 
favor of the consolidated school. This can be done by talking with 
individual taxpayers and patrons, and with the children in and out 
of school hours. Then the county superintendent should assist in this 
matter in several different ways. All the available literature should 
be secured by the teacher and superintendent, which should be fur- 
nished to the leaders in the community. The county superintendent 
is the one, however, who must direct its promotion on a large scale 
with such' co-operation as the state can furnish. Before buildings 
are erected and equipped, in fact before the vote is taken on the sub- 
ject, a committee of the board with the county superintendent should 
visit two or three consolidated schools. This will give the move- 
ment greater consideration and weight in the minds of those on the 
doubtful list. Then there should be meetings of patrons and tax- 
payers to discuss the benefits of the consolidated school and kindred 
topics. Always there should be the ideal of adequate rural school 
privileges held up before the rural patron with the consolidated 
school as a means to realize this ideal. 

6. How Organized 

There are five common ways to organize the consolidated scbool. 
These are : 

(1) Sections 43 and 44 of the lOH School Laws provide for 
the consolidation of school districts. This is doneby the county sup- 
erintendent and the county commissioners on petition of the major- 
ity of the voters in the district to be consolidated. This is the method 
to be used when not only schools, but districts are to be consolidated 
and is especially applicable in counties having the district system 

(2) Section 88 of the l^H School Laws provides for a sort of 
partnership consolidated school in which two or more districts may 
unite to support the consolidated school. This is a good method for 
either town or country. 

(3) Section 84 of the 1913 School Laws provides for the con- 
solidation of schools in the district. It takes a majority vote, fhi.-, 
is the method for those in counties where the township system pre 

vails. , , ,, ■ ^ t^ 

(4) Section 232 provides that the board shall provide trans- 



30 "Good scJiools insure righteous citizenship." 

portation for those living one and one-quarter miles to beyond three 
and one-quarter miles. This is another way to organize a consoli- 
dated school in the town and rural community. It must, however, 
be noted that where there are nine or more children of school age 
living two and one-half miles or more from the nearest school, a 
school building and a teacher can be demanded. 

(5) Article IX of the 1911 School Laws deals with the organ- 
ization of special districts ; and as there is no limit to the territory 
that may be incorporated, the consolidated school can thus be organ- 
ized. This is where the villages and towns located in the corner or 
side of the district can easily and properly organize a consolidated 
school. It is to be commended where the rural residents refuse to 
give up their one-room schools when living within five or six miles 
of the village or town school. In this connection it may be said that 
all villages, town and city schools should be consolidated schools. 

Here it may also be properly said that to extend and hasten the 
growth of the consolidated school we must have more state aid and 
better laws to facilitate its organization. Each consolidated school 
should receive annually from $1,000 to $1,500. This should be pro- 
vided for by county and state appropriations. Then the laws per- 
taining to the organization of consolidated schools should be so 
amended as to give the school board or county commissioners and 
the superintendent greater power in the matter of organizing consol- 
idated schools. With that aid and these laws the number of con- 
solidations in our state could be increased five-fold within the next 
five years. 



